Malaysia is divided into two parts geograpically, the Penisular (West Malaysia) and Borneo (East Malaysia). There are 11 states in West Malaysia (Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang (Penang), Perak, Sekangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka (Malacca), Johor, Phang, Kelantan and Trengganu. East Malaysia is comprised of Sabah and Sarawak.

KUALA LUMPUR -- area code (60-3)

KL is a modest little city on steroids, with muscular architectural monuments and traffic jams that feel out of proportion to its winding, tree lined streets and village-like neighborhoods. Colorful and chaotic, it retains a vitality that neighboring Singapore nearly polished away in its own efforts to become Asia's Tomorrowland. But it's KL that feels like a themepark in progress. Here, you may ramble through a traditional Malay kampong in the shadow of the show-stopping twin towers; or ride the cute monorail that offers first-time visitors vistas of both construction sites and destruction sites. Half of Chinatown has been turned into a uglified pedestrian mall that feels like anywhere but Chinatown, while old and crumbling heritage shophouses nearby that were (thankfully) overlooked by civic planners still house traditional businesses that ooze with charm of days gone by. Modern, yet hand-me-down; confident, yet uptight; Asian tiger, yet conservatively colonial; butch, yet nelly: KL is the fascinating love child of visionary nation-maker Dr. Mahathir and his Mr. Hyde ego.

Gay life in the capitol is widespread and surprisingly sophisticated, but still largely underground due to lingering antique British colonial law and Islamic disapproval. Mainstream businesses now openly cultivate gay and lesbian customers who loyally dispense pink ringgit at the growing number of mixed venues that welcome them. Gay or lesbian nights at straight clubs are common. And, of course, the Internet is the medium of choice for the discreet and closeted.

The population of Kuala Lumpur is about 1.5 million people (that's 60,000 Utopians just in the city proper). The Klang Valley, incorporating KL, Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya has a combined population of over 4 million (for a grand total of more than 160,000. Utopians).

Bukit Bintang is jammed with bustling shopping centers, restaurants and many of KL's popular hotels which are right in the center of the action. The neighborhood is easy to navigate using our Utopia maps:

Sunway Lagoon Club, 3 Jln Lagoon Timur, 5639-8600, 5639-8617, email. A friendly neighborhood pub, where the beers are cold and the people are warm. Local live bands. Sit back, relax and be mesmerized. Decorated with retro, classic and vintage art picture frames. Gay and lesbian-friendly. Utopia Member Discount

OTHER AREAS

Words Chat UTOPIAN VERIFIED OCT 2011

Jln Manis in Taan Segar, 142-956-117. Friendly LGBT place with female owner and staff. Go for a meal (food is okay, not great) or a drink. It's mixed, but majority women. Sometimes they have a special events night.

G/F 115 Jl 3/93, Taman Miharja Cheras. This cafe is a meeting and cruising point for local PLUs. Nice, friendly environment.

PLU Café (Asian cuisine with local flavors)

68-0-4, Block H, Cheras Business Centre, Jln 5/101C (off Jln Kaskas), Jln Cheras, 9133-4566, email. Nearest taxi landmark is the Hotel Caliber. Facing the hotel, PLU Café is to the right in the same block, a few shops past One Pandan Leaf House. Gay-owned, staffed and G&L patronized restaurant. Funky modern design. Lots of fun food and drinks (try the specialty PLU Ocean fruit smoothie). Patrons are mostly young groups of friends, and nearly half the customers are GLBT.

LANGKAWI ISLAND, KEDAH -- area code (60-4)

Langkawi is part of a group of one hundred islands, a little bit of paradise that is waiting to be discovered. The population is about 60,000 (that's about 2,500 Utopians). As one local Utopian reports, "Although it is very hard to locate us here at Langkawi, we are the PLU of Langkawi and we are very careful due to we are on an island and our parents and friends is here...so pandai pandai, lah."

A famous beach here, all types walk along the beach, including lesbians, especially after midnight. 10 minute walk from the Coco Jam Club.

MELAKA / MALACCA -- area code (60-6)

Melaka is one of Malaysia's national treasures, though it hardly looks as though the government cares much to preserve this historic and colorful heritage gem. Just two hours drive from Kuala Lumpur, gay tourists who love food, culture, history and shopping should add this city to their itineraries.

Birthplace of Maylaya, home to immigrants from India and China, origin of Peranakan culture, coveted trading post of Muslim traders, the Portuguese, the Dutch and British; this old port city is a living museum of all of these influences. From the Dutch Stadhaus civic center, now a museum; to the jam-packed streets of Nyonya and Baba shophouses; to the Hindu temple, mosque and Chinese temple that co-exist right next to each other -- Malaka is tropical, enchanting, and resilient.

The population of Melaka is over 600,000 (that's 24,000 Utopians).

Melaka's Old Town heritage neighborhood is easy to navigate using our Utopia map:

591-A Taman Melaka Raya. This former gay-friendly gusethouse has morphed into Melaka's funkiest nightclub! Still warmly welcoming local and visiting gays and lesbians.

PENANG -- area code (60-4)

Penang Island, with its UNESCO World Heritage treasure trove of George Town, the gold sand beaches of Batu Ferringhi, and verdant mountain backdrop, has everything that gay and lesbian travelers love: exquisite food including Nyonya-Baba indigenous fusion cuisine; thousands of architectural treasures including the stupendous colonial mansions of Asia's formerly rich and famous tycoons; sun and fun on tropical beaches; shady hikes through botanical spice gardens and jungle forests; multi-ethnic neighborhoods that are safe and welcoming places to explore on foot, bike, or pedi-cab; fascinating shrines, temples and mosques built over generations by the port's prosperous merchants and fortune-seekers from as far away as Arabia and Armenia; shops, malls and museums filled with beautiful bargains; and more than a bit of gay scene and nightlife for holiday fun and frolic.

All this, yet Penang is so quiet, so cheap, so uncrowded, so easy to access, so friendly, and so rich in cultural treasures that you'll wonder why its not on every tourist's map of must-see cities in Asia.

The population of Penang is over 1.5 million (that's about 60,000 Utopians).

153 & 155 Lebuh Pantai (Beach St), Utopia Map, 263-7299. Second entrance at 183B Victoria St. This funky and modern entertainment and dining complex was created out of two traditional Chinese shophouses joined at their tail ends by a central, open-air garden. A thin space that runs a whole city block in length, it has become Penang's LGBT and hipster hangout. At the Lebuh Pantai entrance you have a coffee shop and adjacent restaurant. Don't miss the sensational home-made cakes! Keep walking and you'll arrive in the outdoor garden with bar seating and beyond that is a large bar with stage that gets packed with gays on weekends. Anchoring the crowd is soulful Malay trans-diva, Roz and her live jazzpop band. Don't miss a chance to catch one of her charismatic sets on Fri or Sat night if she's in town (she also performs in KL these days). Women take note: very handsome tomboy wait staff here!

Penang is one of Asia's culinary treasure troves. Chinese, Muslim, Indian, Malay, European, Thai, Indonesian, Burmese, Japanese, Armenian, and Filipino immigrants have all pitched their recipes and ingredients into Penang's melting pot. Nyonya Baba (the Straits Chinese) fused some of the city's earliest flavors into their own unique style that spread up and down peninsular Asia from Phuket to Singapore. Corner coffee shops are still a haven for community life and an oasis of fresh plate meals, herbal and fruit libations, and a rainbow of sweets. Street hawkers spread the wealth to hungry passersby. Below please find a sampling from the huge variety of sit-down eateries available, but be sure to graze your way across the city during your daytime explorations!

77 Muntri St, Utopia Map, 263-5125, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly Mews Kafe is generally busy with in-the-know locals who appreciate the freshly homemade faire, including daily specials (when we visited they had a Nyonya Baba bento box with exquisite Peranakan specialties and spiced Sri Lankan soft shell crab on linguini). A smile-inducing selection of Asian inspired desserts, such as the famous sago gula melaka (tapioca pearls, coconut cream and palm sugar sauce) or a woven basket from which a variety of fresh nyonya kuih (chewy rice and coconut puddings in a rainbow of textures and colors) may be sampled. Their cappucino, served in a broad, Chinese blue and white porcelain bowl, is the best we've EVER had. Specialty teas include icy tropical fruit infusions or pots of steeping lemongrass or ginger.

Kedai Makanan Song River (Song River Café)

In the middle of Gurney Drive. This seaside hawker center is crowded with diners in the evening - always a good sign. Here you will find a dozen kiosks under one roof, dishing up excellent local food including char koay teow, otak-otak, fried oysters and satay sticks.

Kheng Pin (local food and drinks)UTOPIA VISITED AUG 2014

Jln Penang, on the corner opposite White House Hotel, one block away from Cititel Hotel. Foodie Alert! This unpretentious open-air eatery serves up local specialties for breakfast and dinner, including perhaps the perfect version of Penang's most famous street food dish - char kuay teow (chewy rice noodles with seafood). Try also the won ton noodles, kuay teow th'ng, iced white coffee or a frosty lime juice.

44 Nagore Rd, Utopia Map, 227-8035. Foodie alert! Famous locally for its authentic nyonya baba ethnic dishes. The owner cooks with the freshest ingredients at hand and her Auntie helps with service to the four big round tables in the front room of this classic old Penang home. They'll be happy to recommend favorites from the menu, but be sure to try the "Capitan chicken curry" with its surprising crunchy texture from fried shallots and otak-otak banana-leaf steamed savory seafood soufflé.

179 Lebuh Noordin, Utopia Map, 261-6731. If you feel like you're dining in someone's front parlor it's because you are! Dad takes your order, Mom and two Grandmas prepare in the kitchen, and Grandpa serves and refills your drinks. Homemade Nyonya-Baba dishes. Small portions so you can try a lot of different things. Very reasonable prices. Colorful sweets and pickles come as starters. The walls are lined with examples of many varieties of bird nests (for knowledge, not eating). This is why we love Penang so much.

Perut Rumah (Peranakan cuisine)UTOPIAN VERIFIED JUN 2012

17 Jln Kelawei, Utopia Map, 227-9917. Foodie Alert! Gay-owned and specializing in nyonya baba specialties, all prepared the old fashioned way and served in a restored, 100-year-old Art Deco-styled mansion. Items do run out as nothing is made in mass quatitities. Some dishes are begun the night before while others take several days to complete. 70 dishes to select from including Kari Kapitan (chicken curry), otak-otak (seafood soufflé), perut ikan (fish maw stewed in tamarind juice), roti baba (fried pork sandwich) and bee koh moy (black glutinous rice with coconut milk). Open 11am-10:30pm.

Corner of Lebuh Carnarvon and Jln Cheong Fatt Tse, Utopia Map. Foodie alert! Lunch time only. Go around 11am or after 1pm or you may have to wait up to an hour during the lunchtime rush at this famous food stall in an old fashioned open air kopitiam (coffee shop). The Uncle who carves the roasted duck, pork or chicken works non-stop for 3 hours with his giant cleaver, creating heaping plates of succulent meat that you dip in sweet sauce and eat with rice. Incredibly, for Asia, everything on the plate is edible (not a single bone) and nothing goes to waste - the bottom of the plate is filled with even the tiniest morsels of unctuousness. Enjoy with an icey cold mug of almond milk or nutmeg juice.